Enderlin, North dakota – A devastating tornado that struck Enderlin, North Dakota, has been upgraded to an EF5, the highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale. This marks the first EF5 tornado recorded in the united States in 12 years, according to the National whether Service.
The powerful storm, which occurred October 6, 2025, caused catastrophic damage, including flipping train cars – one of which was thrown approximately 475 feet – uprooting trees, and leveling a farmstead. Tragically,three people died in the storms near Enderlin: two men and one woman.
The upgrade follows additional surveys and analysis conducted by the National Weather Service and wind damage experts. “In the last kind of 12 years, there’s been several strong tornadoes that have come close, but there haven’t been known damage indicators at that time to support the EF5 rating,” explained Melinda Beerends, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, to the Associated Press. ”It’s hard sometimes to get tornadoes to hit something.”
EF5 tornadoes are characterized by estimated wind speeds exceeding 200 mph and are rare occurrences. They represent the most violent end of the tornado spectrum, capable of unbelievable destruction. The National Weather service will continue to assess the damage and provide further information as it becomes available.
